Letter-box



(No Model.)

' S. L. WIEGAND.

LETTER BOX- No. 429,986. Patented June 10. 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

S. LLOYD WIEGAND, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,986, dated June 10, 1890.

Application filed July l1 1889. Serial No. 317,232. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. LLOYD WIEGAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter or Mailing Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a sufficiently full, clear, and exact description thereof to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the said invention.

This invention relates to boxes for the reception or collection of letters and parcels for postal transportation, and has for its object the facility of safely receiving letters and articles of larger dimensions than can be passed through the narrow receiving-apertures heretofore used without the risk of abstraction by unauthorized persons, and the avoidance of some inconveniences incident to boxes now made, as will more fully hereinafter appear. The devices and new forms of construction combined to eifect these desiderata are fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 shows an end view of a letter-box embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section thereof, and Fig. 3 a hori- Zontal section thereof in the plane indicated by the dotted lines 00 so in Figs. 1 and 2.

The same reference-marks indicate like parts in the several figures. v

A represents the bottom of a letter-box; B B, the ends; C, the front; D, the back, and E the top. The top E is of convex cylindrie segmental form, having the axis parallel with the front 0 and back D and forming a hood E over the entrance-opening II. The upper edge 0 of the front Crecedes from the lower edge E of the top E, so as to leave a space H, in which parcels or letters may be introduced in the direction of the arrows and passed over the edge 0. Inside of the box is a reel F, turning upon an axis parallel to the front C and back D, the arms of which are formed of fingers or teeth F, with intervening spaces F Attached to the inner surface of the rear part of the top is a series of fingers G, which are set so as to clear the fingers F of the reelF, permitting the fingers F to pass freely between them, but prohibiting any other objects from passing with them. The

ends B B are made with their inner surfaces diverging from the line of their junction with the top E toward the end of the axis of the reel F, so that any object which can be introduced in the opening H is not liable to become jammed between the ends B B.

To the inner side of the frontC is attached a cylindric concave plate 0 which fits closely toward, but at the same time clears, the fingers F,and is equal in its length, measured circumferentially, to the space between adjacent lines of teeth F on the reel F. A pawl J, pivotally attached to the case. engages projections K K K K on the reel F and prevents reversed motion of the reel F, being.

forced to engagement by the ring J, attached to the reel F. Articles introduced in the opening H, resting upon the series of fingers F nearest to the front C, cause the reel to turn and permits the article to drop into the box, leaving another series of fingers F ready'to receive the next parcel.

Access by hand to the interior of the box is prevented'byth'e concave plate 0 covering the entire space between two contiguous arms of the reel. Any reverse motion of the reel is prevented by the pawl J and projections K',the robbing of the box by adhesive or barbed cords or tapes introduced by the reel and engaging matter in the box and lifting it up through the back of the reel is prevented by the stationary fingers G.

The box can be usefully operated with solid arms to the reel and without the fingers G, but, as already explained, is not then so safe.

The contents of the box maybe removed by the proper custodian by a door L or drawer M at the bottom in the usual manner.

By protecting the openingH by rim E the usual inconvenient hinged flap is dispensed with and the trouble of raising it avoided.

The sides or endsB of the box diverge from the inlet to the space occupied by the reel. The space through which packages pass in entering is consequently of increasing width,

so that anyparcel or other mail-matter which can find entrance cannot stick or lodge in the box and obstruct the working of the reel or the entrance of succeeding parcels, the only limit being when the box is filled.

Having described this invention and the operation thereof, what I claim is 1. In a box for collecting mail-matter, the combination of the reel F, having projections K and a pawl, with the concave-opposed plate C and cover E, having the rim E and protected opening H, arranged to operate as set forth.

2. In a box for collecting mail-matter, the combination of the concave plate G reel F, havings fingers l with intervening spaces, stationary fingers G, and pawl J, engaging projections K on the reel 1 arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

In a box for collecting mail-matter, the combination of the top E, having the overhung edge E, the opening Il,concavc plate C reel F, pawl J, and projections K, with the diverging end plates B, arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

4. In a box for collecting mail-matter, the

combination of a reel F, inclosed in a case having ends diverging from the circumference toward the center of said reel, an inletopening, accessible from below, of less area than the spaces between the vanes of the reel and the opposing surfaces of the case, with a hood for protecting the opening from weather, and means for preventing reversed rotation of the reel, substantially as set forth.

5. In a letter-box, the combination of the reel F, having projections engaging the pawl J, with the ring J, attached to the reel F, to compel the engagement of the pawl, as set forth and shown.

S. LLOYD WIEGAND.

\Vitnesscs:

J. DANIEL E'BY, \VALTER I. BUDD. 

